The Vatican got a new electrical booster in the garage. THE BMW offered to Pope Leo XIV one iX xDrive60100% electric luxury SUV. The delivery was made in Rome by the brand’s global CEO, Oliver Zipse, accompanied by executives from the European and Italian operations.
The new car was displayed with the SCV-1 license plate, exclusively for the pontiff’s use. The new model does not replace the vehicles already used by the Pope, but becomes another option for official travel. Leo XIV has already been seen with one, in addition to the Popemobile.
The model follows the line adopted by the Pope of supporting initiatives with less environmental impact. BMW, in turn, reinforced that the use of the iX as a papal car demonstrates a rapprochement between technology, efficiency and emissions reduction.
The unit destined for the Vatican follows the European standard of the xDrive60 intermediate version, equipped with a package M Sport Pro and painting Carbon Black. There are also with optional 22-inch M wheels with 3D effect.
The set of two electric motors delivers 544 cv e 76.5 kgfm of torqueguaranteeing performance worthy of sports models. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes place in 4.6 secondswhile the maximum speed is limited to 200 km/h.
The battery has 109,1 kWhwhich allows autonomy of up to 672 km by the WLTP cycle. Full recharging on alternating current (AC) takes about 11:15 a.m. using 11 kW power. In direct current (DC) fast chargers, it is possible to go from 10% to 80% in approximately 35 minuteswith power of up to 195 kW. Under ideal conditions, 10 minutes of charging can add between 166 and 217 km of autonomy.
Papa’s iX is a large SUV, suitable for institutional use. They are 4,96 metros long, 1,97 m wide and 1,70 m tall, with a wheelbase of 3,00 m. The trunk offers between 500 and 1,750 litersdepending on the position of the seats. The total weight is 2.580 kgand the towing capacity reaches 2,500 kg.
The model brings an extensive list of comfort and technology items for papal transport:
- BMW Live Cockpit Plus digital dashboard with curved screen
- OS 8.5 operating system with navigation
- Systems like Harman Kardon
- Electric and heated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Dual-zone automatic air conditioning
- Driving modes My Modes (Sport, Efficient, Relax, among others)
In terms of safety, the SUV includes assistance such as Driving Assistant Plus, automatic distance control, autonomous braking and a complete maneuvering assistance package.
How much would the Pope’s BMW iX cost in Brazil?
In Europe, the xDrive60 version configured for the Pope costs around €113.350, approximately R$718 thousand — without taxes or adaptations that would be applied in the Brazilian market. Here, BMW sells the iX without the restyling already offered in Europe. The car has prices between R$727,948 and R$1,144.95.
